Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-06-09
EASILY INTERVIEWED,
STRATEGY USED BY A REPORTER
TO APPROACH cONkLlNG,

Zen Butler Said to Tic the Most Salts
factory Interviewee in tho Country.
Henry Ward Beecler's Kindness to tho
Reporter.
There arc some mst in public 1ifo who
have the reputation of being non-intcrview-
able. Roscoe Conkling used to be SO ciassi-
fed when he was in tho senate. Knowing
that to he the case, thought would try my
luck with him. 1t was OH train going west
from Harrisburg, Pat to the great Chicago
convention of 80, which was to, bot did not,
nominate Grant for third term. Conkling
had a special car all to himself. 1t was
guarded at each end by stout colored porters,
with orders to let no one in. Mr.. Arthur
(aftcrward presidenN and Mr.. James latter
ward postmaster generaD were the only meti
i'll the car with the great man. To one of the
colorcd scntinels on The cur platform went
and said: "Can l see Mr.. Conkling" mo,
SAIL" said the porter, "he gave petickler or
ders to let nobody in "Ah" said /, "but he
didn't know l was on the train-just give him
this card, please" This and q quurter-no
colorrd car porter can resist n qrlartcr-car-
ricd my card to tho great man.
On the card | had written "Grant dele
gate to Chcago"--which was bit Of stratc.
gir fiction.
1t did the business. was called in, shaken
by the hand, and invited to eat fruit, while
the imperial senator from the imperial state
posted me all up on the prospects Of Grant, as
he viewed them. When hc got through l
said: Our friends IN Boston would be d.
lighted to know how confident you feel, Mr..
Scnator-lave you any objection to lie
quoted in a newspaper dispatchG' "Not the
least" he replied, for by this time he was off
his dignity and almost as human as Mr..
Cleveland. And 40 / succeeded in standing
up the naughty man for IN interview, which
was sent on to Boston as fast as d badly jolt
Ing train would permit mo to scratch it of.
In this case it is certain that the sight OF
note book at the outset, or even an admission
that ! desired an interview for paper would
have prevented my talking with him Mt all.
GEN. BENJAMIN F. BUTLER.
Gen. Benjamin f. Butler I regard as, on
the whole, tho most satisfactory mterviewec
in the country. He, too, has tho reputation
Of being difficult of access, 1t is not true In
tho Sense Of his being lofty nr impcrious, a la
COnkling. Uncle Ben Is one of the most
genial gentlemen in tho United States--tb
newspaper men who "usc him square, and
dOnt abuse his confidence But woe bctide
tho interviewer who undertakes to publish q
confidential talk, which he has agreed not to
use. and then 80 near Uncle Ben for another
favor He will not get it, but he may get
large piece of Unclc Bcn'S mind. First and
last the general has given mo probably d
dozen or moro interviews, and they were very
easily taltC!. Tic general Goes all the work
for You himself, He frames the questions
and answers both, doe; it ct an easy pace, so
thu, Il can be taken Gown without Strainng
SOui s.cnosraphic posers, and never fails to
give you = readable. entertaining column or
two columns. or whatever length hc may talk
TO-.
have heard it said that Uncle Ben draws
tho limo at intcrvicwcrS connected with
papers opposed to him, but don't believe it.
In my own case began reporting on Dem
ocratic paper when he was Republican aud
passed to the staff Of Republican paper
when he became a Democrat, but always
found q warm v;clcomc at his house or his
office, and All interview if he felt like giving
ONO,
HENRY WARD BEECHEI.
Tho only other man who over conducted an
interview after Buffers method, in my cx-
pcriencc, was the lato Henry Ward Bccchcr,
at the time of his controversy over tbs doc.
trinc of everlasting punishment, somewhere
about tho fall of 1877, my friend Maj. Pond
gave Inc All introduction to MI Bcccher for
The purpose of trying to get IN Interview out
of him III aiswc, to the attacks of DR.. Storls
aud Others 1t was ut Music hall, one even
ing cftcr lecture. "Come round to the
Evans house III the morning. and go with HE
toward Dover. II. H., where | lecture o-i,,or-
row night, and Ill talk for you," said the
famous preacher. Depend upon it l was
there. Working Oh a sixth rate daily at slim
salary, n tall, with Beecher that would sell
readily for $50, OF oven 800, was not to be
snccZcd at.
Well wont and met the great man, and
together We boarded the train for Dover. As
soon as we started, Mr., sBeccher said, Now,
sir, if you arc ready ] Thought he meant
mo to fro away with a Question. But he
stopped me right off. "You write short
hand!' YES said l. "All right: then
please put this question: and Mr. Beccher
proceeded, exactly as Ten, Butler does, to
put his own questions and answer them, Until
ho had rccletl off two columns and half of
The New York Herald, to which great paper
sent the interview. ! remember the haring
headline was "Beccher on He'll; but rcmcm-
Der with still more joy the two handsome
figures in the left hand corner Of Tho Her.
AIDS chcck.-Jamrs W. Clarke in The
Writer.